


bittersweet freedom

by WisdomPearl



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Freedom, Gen, Pent-up Feelings, Post-Canon, father-son relationship building, gakushuu centric, mentions of his mother, midnight escape, stressed gakuho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:01:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24316969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WisdomPearl/pseuds/WisdomPearl
Summary: Gakushuu runs out by himself at midnight to release tension and relax for once in his life.
Kudos: 64





	bittersweet freedom

**Author's Note:**

> yes I love asano don't @ me abt it

{Gakushuu Asano’s Perspective}

Gakushuu had slipped through the back door, making sure to disable the house alarm so that no one would be awakened. He wasn’t sure how to explain himself should his father catch him in the act.

As he quietly stepped out into his backyard and shut the door quietly, he breathed in the crisp breeze that wafted through the trees. The smell was nearly foreign, as Asano hadn’t had very many chances to get out and be alone. All the other times, his father would’ve still been awake, doing paperwork or application forms. He figured that wouldn’t risk going out while his father was still awake. But today, the former principal was sound asleep, looking like a normal father as his blanket draped over him like a large cape.

As the grass blades crunched under his loosely thrown-on shoes, he could nearly see his breath in the chilling midnight. He sort of wished that he had planned this further, but his heart was pounding in his ears too loudly for him to think straight.

Why? Because he was free now, no longer a cowardly person. He was outside of his confined home, his skin prickling at the sensation of the cooled air and his hair swaying in the wind. The heat under his arms and nape blew away as the breeze swept through him.

Of course, he reminded himself that he wasn’t totally free. He would still have to wake up the next day and face the harsh reality. He held his own arms and rubbed them in up and down motions, exhaling slowly out of his mouth.

He reached the back part of his fence, whirling his head around to check for security cameras. When he saw that the coast was clear, he gripped the high bar of the fence and swung himself over it with ease. He was in no way scrawny, but that burning sensation that he felt in his biceps had numbed his hands as well, the metal bar leaving slightly reddened marks on his finger joints.

Gakushuu used to explore the forest that laid behind his house, remembering the sound of the birds chirping and the smell of pine that lingered in the overgrowth. But it was such a long time ago, and it wasn’t like he had very much time to remember trivial things like that. However, it seemed like the only thing on his mind now, his senses focused on the smell that the trees radiated and the silence that buzzed through his ears like a swarm of bees.

He walked through a worn path that led through the woods and into the city. He rounded a large tree, his right hand wrapped around a nearby branch as he hung from the branch, soaking in the view.

The city wasn’t the prettiest, like Canton or Tokyo, but it was still home, his home.

He smiled and peered down at the sloping hill, letting go of the branch as he leapt down the hill. He kneeled down until he started to roll down the hill, and while it wasn’t a very long distance, the strawberry blonde still laid on the fresh grass, which would be cut the next morning.

The grass blades, meanwhile, hugged his features as he stared up into the dark sky, decorated with stars and accented with a bright, crescent moon. The moon’s corners had started to break off, but it was so gradual that you couldn’t see it unless you squinted. He broke out into a chuckle, a soon burst out laughing, his eyes dotted with tears and his body feeling light.

He hadn’t felt like this in such a long, his last memory of it being faint and distant, something he tried so desperately to grasp but ultimately couldn’t. It wasn’t like a memory, but more of a wisp of smoke that lingered, taunting the boy with peeks of the memory. It was frustrating, but he couldn’t help it. Thinking about it just made the wisp waft away.

He sat up, loose pieces of grass and dirt dotting the back of his t-shirt, with a couple of stray earth accentuating the white t-shirt he wore (from when he was rolling down the hill). He took this time to tie his shoes (which nearly fell off) and brushed his hands down his cargo pants to free the grass from him.

After a while of sitting down, he got bored and stood up, his head dizzy from the sudden movement. He calmed down, staring blankly into the ground, and set off for the city.

Thinking about it like that only made him feel like a country boy, something that he definitely was not. Although he has substantial information about farming and theory of growth, experiencing the struggles and actually taking part in the activity, that was a whole different story.

He ran down the rest of the hill, which had tapered off to a flat ground. He felt pumped with energy and adrenaline, as if he were on top of the world. His face contorted into a wide smile against his will and he felt like an idiot, but that didn’t hinder the overwhelming feeling that stirred inside him. He felt euphoric, as if he were standing on clouds like a god.

As he ignored the dirt that still littered his white t-shirt, he stuck out his arms in a T, as if to catch something. He smiled widely, his teeth exposed to the cold and his fingers tingling. He walked down the worn-down road, he realized something as his breath faded into the air.

There was no one to question his decision now. There was no one to pull him away from his little bubble and deprive him from his fantasy. He reached what seemed to be the pinnacle of his happiness, his freedom. He could feel the iron chains slipping off and his wounds healing. He was free. He was liberated from this unjust world, even if it was only for a little bit.

He could feel the cold wind bother him no longer, his senses focused on regulating his emotions, which weren’t used to this kind of stimulation and were, quite honestly, freaking out a lot.

Tears streamed down his face as his knees started to shake. He lowered his arms, the tips of his fingers numb from the cold. But he still smiled, even if it hurt a little bit. Even the stars seemed to smile at him while he wiped his tears away with the back of his wrist, kneeling down into the dirt to rest for a while.

Gakushuu didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to leave this scenery behind, but as he got up with shaky legs, dusting off the dirt that collected onto his knees, he knew that he wouldn’t survive out here alone for long. He had no money, barely any connections (they were all one-time businesses or his father’s), and nowhere to go but home. Ren certainly wouldn’t appreciate Gakushuu crashing at his house while he was having his beauty sleep.

He tied his shoelaces (which had loosened again) and started to retrace his steps, his arms now feeling the coldness that bit him like mosquitos. After the overwhelming sensations had faded away, he slowed his steps down.

He still had so many questions. Surely, his father has many connections and many skills, so why did he work so hard all day to find a suitable job? Doesn’t he have the qualifications to fly a jet or something? This still bugged Gakushuu, groaning in frustration as he racked his brain trying to figure out why.

He still had no idea what Class E’s secret was. Although he had an idea (which involved flying octopuses and knives), he wasn’t completely sure about it anymore. He was kept in the dark, about every detail, and it seemed as if everyone knew what it was and was hiding it from him.

He still wanted to know why his father was like this, why he became ruthless and cold, and why he raised Gakushuu like so. He always thought that this was what a family was like, but he couldn’t grasp the thought that other people seemed to have it better than him. It wasn’t normal for a father to do such things? Gakushuu still failed to wrap his mind around that concept.

He wondered what his mother was like. He wondered if his mother ever had the chance to hold him in his arms, to sing and play with him, and he wondered what kind of a father and husband Gakuho was when he was little. Was he always this ruthless? Sometimes he wondered if his mother thought about these sorts of things as well.

He reached the fence, using his dusty and wet hands to grip the top bar, which felt more difficult than earlier. Perhaps it was because he was tired and his hands were wet from his tears. Nevertheless, his strength carried him over the bar, landing him neatly onto the grass. He got onto the porch, kicking off his shoes and socks and standing on the mat in bare feet, rubbing off the dirt from his soles.

As he approached the door and opened it ever so slowly, he wondered if anyone tried to break into his house while he left the door unlocked. Hearing no shuffling or footsteps, he decided to wing it this time and headed for the stairs, his destination: his bedroom. Checking the time on his watch, he realized that it had only been half an hour since he was gone.

He put a foot on the first step before a voice echoed from the living room.

“You forgot to set the alarm.”

His hair stood on end, fumbling around his pant pockets for some sort of weapon. Finding none, he grabbed the nearest decorative ornament, a golden eagle statue, and pointed the sharp, winged end towards the direction of the voice. The voice chuckled, “Have I been so distanced from you that you’ve forgotten what my voice sounds like already? I’m hurt.”

Gakushuu lowered the ornament, placing it back onto the shelf, “Satan?”

The voice seemed amused, footsteps growing louder as he approached Gakushuu, “Son, would you like to talk?”

Gakushuu furrowed his eyebrows and fumbled for the light switch, “Talk about what? You already caught me staying up late, what do you want now?”

“Do I need a reason to talk with my son? I just want to have a father-son conversation, light talk.”

“Father, it is past midnight. Go to sleep.”

“You already know my sleep schedule. I feel as light as a feather.” Gakushuu turned the lights on, staring his father straight in the eye.

“In that case, maybe you’re feeling a bit light-headed and need some rest. Good night.”

Gakuho chuckled, “I haven’t heard that one since your mom was here.”

Gakushuu stopped ascending the stairs, gripping the banister tightly until his knuckles grew white, “Good night, father.”

“No midnight chat today?”

Gakushuu bit his lower lip, “It’s late. Go to bed.”

“I’m surprised you care.”

“I’m surprised you’re still pestering me about this. Don’t you have job applications and interviews to sign up for?! Don’t you still have news articles and tabloids to get frustrated over?! Go ignore me in your room, you’re scaring me now!”

His blood stopped boiling as he realized what happened. His left eye twitched and he turned around, running up the stairs, “And turn off the lights!”

As the door was half-slammed shut, Gakuho chuckled, “He reminds me a lot of his mother.”


End file.
